If you've just moved to VOU, Welcome!
Here's some information about the community.

Contents

Amenities
Assessments and Payments
Events and Programs
Governance
Mail Service
Mailboxes
Management Office
Modifications to your Home
Recycling and Trash
Shutter Replacement
Social Media
Snow Removal
Tip Sheets


AMENITIES

The Villages of Urbana operates a fitness center, three tennis courts, two pickleball courts,  three basketball courts, and two pool complexes, as well as two community centers. The community centers are available to rent by VOU homeowners. For information about rentals, please click here.

Access to all amenities is through a Membership Pass. Passes cost $7.50 apiece when they are issued (payable by check only in the office, or by credit card on-line). Passes are available to members only.For information about passes, click here.



ASSESSMENTS AND PAYMENTS

Homeowners in the Villages of Urbana pay monthly assessments to support the operation of the community, including street lighting, lawn and forest maintenance, cluster mailbox maintenance, tot lot maintenance, management and maintenance of the pools and community centers, stormwater management, liability insurance for community property, etc. For information about your own account, visit Your Profile.

2023 Assessments are as follows:

• Basic assessment = $127 per month
• Townhouse and condominium surcharge = $20 per month (total $147 per month)
• Boxwood villa surcharge = $55 per month (total 4202 per month)

To pay online, click here.
To make a credit card payment, use www.paylease.com.


Assessment Payments By Personal Check:
How does it work?  Payment mailed to remittance address. 

What do you need to do?
Use the detachable coupon provided on the bottom of the invoice. Mail your payment coupon and check, payable to your association, in the enclosed remittance envelope to the New Jersey payment address listed on the invoice coupon and below. Please note your account number, found on the invoice, on the memo line on your check.   
         
Using Your Personal Bank’s Online Bill Pay System:
How does it work?
Set up payment to the association through your own bank’s bill pay system.  If you have questions about accounting matters other than making payment to the new address, please contact the CAS accounting department at (301) 840-1800 or (800) 883-0799, extension 31.

Community Association Services, Inc.
 

** Assessment Remittance Address** PO Box 11973 Newark, NJ  07101-4973

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
The VOU sponsors many events, including races, tennis, yoga, and monthly children's programs.



GOVERNANCE
The Villages of Urbana is incorporated in the state of Maryland as a not-for-profit corporation. It is led by a seven-member volunteer board of directors. The board meets once per month, usually on the third Tuesday of the month. 


There are a number of committees, and all welcome resident volunteers. Contact the community manager for more information:

• Pools & Outdoor Recreation
• Social & Activities
• Finance
• Design Review
• Covenants
• Grounds & Physical Assets

MAIL SERVICE

Mail is provided by the United States Postal Service. If you have a question or concern about your delivery service or the mailbox, or if you need a mailbox key, please contact the local Post Office.


MAILBOXES
Sometimes mailboxes require repair, or the numbers need to be replaced. Below are some resources that have been helpful to residents:
  Betterboxmailboxes.com
864-386-9845

MailboxmanofMD.com
410-635-6963

MidAtlantic Mailbox Inc
301-620-7585
550 Highland St, Suite 420
Frederick, MD

Amazon.com

If you receive a notice to paint your black mailbox, the following process has proved effective for some people:

1. Weed/trim around post to eliminate any tall grass.
2. Spray with water hose or pressure washer to post and mailbox to eliminate any grime, grass clippings, cobwebs, or bird droppings. Let entire post and mailbox dry.
3. Tape off/cover brass knob, red flag, and address numbers so paint does not adhere to it.
4. On a warm, breezeless day with no forecasted rain expected, spray-paint the entire outer surface. No need to do inside the mailbox, but don’t forget underneath areas. If there is a light wind, start with the wind at your back so the paint carries and your body is partially blocking the wind. Start painting from the top down and spray-paint in 1-2 second bursts. Spray-paint finish is best when painting in many, many, small sprays, NOT LONG SPRAYS. Patience is critical when spray-painting. Overlap painting areas as necessary. If done properly, you will be left with 1/3 spray-paint can full. Both gloss and flat finishes are permitted.

MANAGEMENT OFFICE

The Villages of Urbana has an on-site management office located at 9023 Harris Street, Frederick, MD 21704. The telephone number is 301-831-4810. The management office is open from 10 AM to 4 PM weekdays, with the exception of federal holidays. The office is also open one Saturday per month (contact the office for the calendar). Staff can be available before and after hours by appointment. Staff can be reached by email at the following addresses:

Aimee Winegar, General Manager - manager@villagesofurbana.net
Stephanie Turner, Assistant Manager - admin@villagesofurbana.net
Jacob Sadler, Assistant Manager - help@villagesofurbana.net
Jocelyn Velazquez, Administrative Assistant - info@villagesofurbana.net

The emergency after-hours line is 1-888-788-2678.


MODIFICATIONS TO YOUR HOME
All exterior modifications require prior approval. Please complete and submit the Design Review Application to the management office for consideration by the Design Review Committee. The committee meets monthly during winter months, and twice monthly during the summer months. Click here for the Design Guidelines.


RECYCLING & TRASH
Mixed material recycling (glass, paper, metal) is provided by Frederick County every other Thursday. To contact Frederick County about missed pickup or other service questions, call 301-600-2960. The county also provides the recycling bins - you may request one at the same number.

Recycling - Yard Waste
Yard waste recycling is provided by the Villages of Urbana on Wednesdays. All yard waste must be properly packaged in the brown paper bags available at hardware and grocery stores. Yard waste must never be placed in plastic bags for removal. Specifically excluded from yard waste collection are construction materials, soil, and rocks. Bags of waste must not weigh more than 40 pounds. All branches must be cut to less than 4 ft in length and bundled (not more than 40 pounds). Loose branches and sticks will not be removed.

Recycling/Composting
The VOU permits certain composting. You must apply for a compost bin through the Design Review Committee. Information on composting is available here.

TRASH REMOVAL
The VOU provides trash removal every Tuesday and Friday. All trash must be left out for removal inside a sealed plastic trash bag placed inside a lidded trash can, no earlier than 7 PM the night before trash day. Residents are responsible for ensuring their trash does not blow around the community. To report a missed pickup or to request a "bulk pickup" from the trash contractor, please call J&J Sanitation at (301) 898-2109. 




SHUTTER REPLACEMENT
A common VOU house maintenance problem is shutter replacement. Some vendors that VOU residents have used include:

ABC Supply
6822 English Muffin Way
301-846-4944

Superior Distribution
6809 Bowmans Crossing
301-695-5335



SOCIAL MEDIA (FACEBOOK)
The VOU sponsors a Facebook page here. This website offers opportunities for residents to send out notifications through the "Community Feed." Select the appropriate channel and post what you want!


SNOW REMOVAL
Some of the streets in the Villages of Urbana are owned and maintained by Frederick County. These are marked with green street signs. Frederick County will clear snow from those streets. Streets with white street signs and all alleys will be cleared by Villages of Urbana. Scroll down for more details about the VOU Snow Removal Plan.

• The VOU maintains and clears all alleyways (behind homes) and all streets with WHITE street signs.
• Frederick County maintains and clears all streets with GREEN street signs.
• The VOU clears snow from sidewalks in townhouse areas.
• The VOU clears snow from empty driveways and lead walks in the Boxwood Villas area. For the Boxwood Villa Snow Policy, click  here.
• For a copy of the Snow Removal Map, showing VOU responsibilities, please click here.
• Residents of single family homes are responsible for clearing sidewalks in front of and to the side of their homes.
• It is a violation of the rules to park in an alley with your wheels over the curb, even if you are in your own driveway. Snow removal equipment may not be able to access your alley of there are wheels over the curb. It is also a violation to park with any wheels on grass, anywhere in the community.
• Please note that when severe weather is in the forecast, all members are encouraged to park in their garages and driveways. This will make it easier for equipment -- both VOU's and the county's -- to operate in the community.

To report concerns about icy or snowy conditions, please email manager@villagesofurbana.net.



TIP SHEETS
Various tip sheets related to the Villages of Urbana community are available below.